In a bold stand amid ongoing collective bargaining negotiations, WNBA players reportedly turned down a staggering %400 pay raise in minimum slaries. The offer was elevate it from $66,000 to $250,000 and also raise the top salary bracket to $1 million.
Players criticized the proposal for offering insufficient structural change, emphasizing that true fairness lies not in fixed increases but in securing a meaningful share of league revenue.
Why players aren’t buying it
While a jump to a $250K minimum salary is undeniably significant, many players view it as short-sighted. Rejecting the deal outright, they perceive it as a public relations move that avoids the league’s deeper issue: how much of its revenue actually goes to the athletes.
The current deal would only increase salary, but still leave revenue shares at the same low level, which players deem unacceptable.
Fair compensation in revenue sharing
This episode occurs in the broader context of a high stakes labor battle. With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire at the end of the 2025 season, the WNBPA is pushing for sweeping reforms.
Not just higher pay, but better revenue distribution, travel conditions, maternity benefits, and roster expansion. Players have increasingly rallied aroun “Pay us what you owe us” messaging to highlight how league revenues have grown dramatically, yet player compensation hasn’t kept pace.
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